


happily ever after

by yeonheon



Category: VERIVERY (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeonheon/pseuds/yeonheon
Summary: Dongheon and Yeonho go on their first date.
Relationships: Ju Yeonho/Lee Dongheon
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	happily ever after

It’s an ordinary Sunday, and by all reason it should be a normal café outing together just like any other that Dongheon and Yeonho have partook in hundreds of times before. They should be feeling comfortable and carefree, laughing and joking around about nothing and everything. They should have gone through at least two or three coffees each by now, the two of them growing louder and louder as their energy rises to the point where they have to contain themselves from outright yelling because they’ve gotten so excited about whatever they’re talking about. They should be struggling to keep their howls of laughter down to a respectable volume for the other customers around them, which would only make them want to laugh even harder until their faces ached and their stomachs hurt. 

And this is a cute little place, it really is. It’s a new café near the dorm that had just opened a few weeks ago, and Dongheon and Yeonho had been talking about coming here ever since the place opened its doors, the two of them always on the lookout to try new things and new places. This café doesn’t have a particular theme or anything fancy like that, but it’s cozy and relaxed, exactly the kind of atmosphere they’d be looking for. 

Because really, they’d come here together knowing full well that getting coffee was all just a pretense to hang out somewhere other than the dorm or the company. Going out to restaurants and cafés, shopping, or even just taking a walk was never about what they were doing but about just being _out_ in the world, whether they were people-watching, or chatting about stupid, silly things with total freedom, or having deeper, more meaningful discussions about life and future plans, whatever the mood they were caught in called for, and this little place should have been perfect for whatever they were feeling up to today. 

And yet, as Dongheon and Yeonho sit across from each other at one of the smaller tables tucked away in the corner of the café, right beside the large glass windows with the late afternoon sun shining down on them warm and bright, the air fragrant with the rich aroma of fresh coffee and decadent pastries, the two of them are uncharacteristically still, uncharacteristically quiet, their coffee mostly untouched in front of them as they both stare into the depths of their drinks, unable to look up and yet completely and intensely focused only on each other. But despite this odd, never-before-seen scenario, one thing is still exactly the same as it always is when the two of them are together. 

Dongheon and Yeonho are both smiling. 

The only difference now is that, instead of the bright, jubilant smiles of barely-contained laughter and easy, relaxed comfort that had long been the hallmark of their friendship, their smiles are soft and shy and small, and much, much sweeter, filled to the brim with a thick but wonderful tension as they both fidget with their coffee mugs, fidget in their chairs, fidget their feet and their legs beneath the table. 

Surely, nobody who knows the two of them would ever imagine that they’d see Dongheon and Yeonho together acting like this, the sight like a scene from an alternate universe. Since they got here, all they’ve been able to do is order their drinks and sit down, and every time one of them starts to speak, they make eye contact, and they talk over each other, flustered, blushing like teenagers and fading into silence once more. 

And for Yeonho, his heart won’t stop racing, and he feels a little breathless, like he’s just on the verge of laughing, stuck at that exact, precise moment when joy overwhelms the mind and blooms and bursts out big and loud. It’s because even though they’ve done this so many times, today, it’s like they’re doing it all for the first time. 

Today is their first date, their first real date as a couple. 

And now, what would’ve before been two best friends just hanging out, as uncomplicated and as casual as waking up in the morning and going to bed at night, has become something else entirely, something that neither of them really knows how to handle. 

Looking back now, it still isn’t clear when exactly their relationship had started to change, when it had started to transform from a close, brotherly friendship into something much more complex. It hadn’t happened quickly, either, but so slowly, and with such subtlety, that they hadn’t really noticed it at all, not until one day, when they hit a certain threshold, and it suddenly became all too obvious, it suddenly became undeniable like a veil had been lifted from their eyes and they were finally seeing things clearly, the way that they were always meant to be seen. 

However it had happened, however exactly they had gotten to that point, Dongheon had been the one to finally confess following months of the two of them dancing around each other like fools, both vaguely aware of their feelings and yet too scared to act on them. It had actually been kind of fun for a while, every moment spent together as best friends and bandmates filled with unspoken meaning under the surface, tinged with something special and exciting around the edges just waiting to emerge into something new and beautiful. 

And now, just days following that most important conversation on the dorm rooftop, when Dongheon had spoken openly and honestly and Yeonho had returned Dongheon’s earnest words with his own heartfelt confession, it’s even crazier, because now, they suddenly can’t even talk to each other, can’t even look at each other without feeling the butterflies, without feeling that rush that leaves them giddy and dizzy. Heck, Yeonho can’t even _think_ about Dongheon without feeling like a balloon barely tethered that’s about to float away high up into the sky. 

Yeonho reaches for his coffee and takes what’s probably only the third or fourth sip since they sat down, and the buzz of the caffeine and the sugar combined with the situation that’s only growing more ridiculous by the second has Yeonho suddenly letting out a little chuckle, and that’s when they both look up, make eye contact for a split second, and look down again. 

“Hyung,” Yeonho says, his heart skipping, his voice soft, his eyes focused on the pretty designs carved into the table. “This is crazy.” 

“What's crazy?” Dongheon asks, both of them looking up automatically, Dongheon’s eyes vulnerable and his face going red with perfect timing as they make eye contact again, and Yeonho still can’t believe that he gets to see Dongheon like this, their fierce, fiery leader who can silence a room with his gaze and who now can’t even look at Yeonho without blushing. 

“This!” Yeonho exclaims, grinning wide and gesturing between them, his eyes shining as he feels a rush like he swallowed a spoonful of honey. “You see how ridiculous this is, right?” 

Dongheon smiles a little, reaching for his coffee but not lifting it, just wrapping his hands around the mug and sighing. “I don’t know what to tell you,” Dongheon says, his smile growing a little wider as Yeonho lets out a little whine in protest. 

Silence falls between them again for a few seconds that go on for what feels like hours until Yeonho groans, sitting back and closing his eyes, gripping onto the edge of the table and tilting his head to the ceiling for just a moment before he speaks. “This is crazy,” he says, but he’s grinning and he can feel Dongheon’s eyes on him. “Are we never going to have a normal conversation ever again?” 

Yeonho opens his eyes and lowers his face back to look at Dongheon, and Dongheon doesn’t say anything, but Yeonho can feel Dongheon’s intention to say something hanging in the air, can almost hear the gears turning in his brain. 

Still, Yeonho knows Dongheon well enough to know that Dongheon is incredibly shy when it comes to things like this and that the two of them might be waiting forever for Dongheon to speak if Yeonho doesn’t make the first move. Dongheon’s rooftop confession had been perhaps the most courageous thing that Dongheon had ever done, and so this time, Yeonho decides to be the brave one, and he holds out his hand, palm facing up, on the table. 

“Let’s try this,” Yeonho says. 

And Dongheon stares down at Yeonho’s hand for several long moments, hesitating before he shyly reaches out, laying his palm on top of Yeonho’s, the act causing both of them to flush and smile, gazes slipping down to the table as Yeonho wraps his hand around Dongheon’s and squeezes gently. 

“Good,” Yeonho says, half-laughing again because this is just too embarrassing. Their eyes meet once more, and Yeonho’s voice goes a little quieter. “Now don’t look away.” 

And Yeonho knows exactly what he wants to say right now, it’s all so clear to him in his mind that it should be as simple as reading off of a page from a book. He wants to tell Dongheon how happy he is to be here and how happy he is that they’re finally together, but he can’t quite form the words, they get caught in his throat and jumble around as he tries to speak, his flush growing deeper from nerves as Dongheon stares at him with expectant eyes. 

Really, how on Earth was he able to do this before? That night when they had confessed to each other, it had all been so effortless. Yeonho had been able to say everything, had been able to pour out his entire heart and lay himself fully bare for Dongheon without an ounce of hesitation. But now, he finds himself unable to say any of it, not even something as simple as “I’m so glad to be here with you,” let alone those three big words that had once been so easy to say when it had all been platonic. 

Yeonho closes his eyes as his face burns, his body filling with heat. So much of this still doesn’t even feel real, so much of it still feels like some dream that he’ll wake from only to find himself back where he was before, back where _they_ were before, hopelessly pining for each other and stuck waiting for the right moment to take that leap of faith. 

Yeonho sighs, opening his eyes again and looking right at Dongheon while still clutching onto his hand as he finally says, “Hyung, I’m so happy.” 

A long moment of silence follows, Yeonho whining as embarrassment floods through his body and a fresh blush spreads over his face, his ears so hot he thinks that they might catch fire, but the feeling is wonderful, too. It’s a feeling that he loves, and it’s the happiest he’s ever been. 

Dongheon doesn’t say anything in response, but his eyes go soft as Yeonho squeezes his hand again and stares into his eyes, the shyness returning and rendering Yeonho speechless even as he keeps trying to continue, and Yeonho thinks that if anyone were paying attention to them right now, this must look like the most ridiculous scene of all time. 

And it doesn’t help that as Yeonho keeps trying to speak, Dongheon just keeps staring at him with that same look of fondness, the corner of Dongheon’s mouth quirking up and his eyes shining more and more with each second. Yeonho finally gives up, his voice fading and his heart pounding the same way it did that night when Dongheon had confessed and everything between them had come to the surface. 

“Yeono-ya,” Dongheon murmurs, his voice warm and sweet. 

“Yeah?” Yeonho asks, and he can feel his blood running hot and quick through his veins. 

“You’re squeezing my hand really hard,” Dongheon says, chuckling as a deep affection flashes through his gaze. 

Yeonho lets out a little yelp and half-laughs as he releases his grip, Dongheon’s smile growing wider as he reaches beneath Yeonho’s hand and the two of them flip their hand holding, Dongheon now squeezing Yeonho’s hand in his, Yeonho’s heart warming at the gesture, and this is excruciating, he’s so embarrassed, but he loves it, he can’t deny it. He’ll never stop loving this feeling. 

“I’m so happy too,” Dongheon says, and now, he’s the one squeezing just a bit too hard, and he shakes Yeonho’s hand in his a bit, trying to calm his own nerves. “I can’t even describe it.” 

Dongheon pauses then, closing his eyes and cringing at himself as Yeonho chuckles. When Dongheon’s eyes flicker open again, he looks at Yeonho and for a moment, it’s like they’re back to that night as Dongheon says, “You make me so happy.” 

And at that, they immediately release their hands as they both whine and groan loudly in embarrassment at the same time, their faces somehow going even deeper red, so red that it can likely be seen across the room as it all washes over them and they’re so loud that they even get a few looks form other customers at their commotion. 

They know that they have to calm down to stop drawing attention to themselves, and so Yeonho grips the edge of the table again and sighs, and Dongheon covers his face with his hands and shakes his head, but they’re both grinning wide and even when they manage to calm themselves enough that everyone around them goes back to ignoring them, they still can’t stop smiling. 

“Ah, what are we going to do?” Dongheon exclaims, lowering his hands back to his lap and looking at Yeonho with a dopey grin, unbelievably adorable with his dark hair hanging in his eyes. “We can’t be like this forever.” 

Dongheon sighs deeply, his eyes shining with fondness as he speaks earnestly but a bit clumsily, able to pull together a string of words without cringing too much. 

“This is fun,” he says. “And I’m happy that...you know...and that we...I’m so happy, I feel like I’ll explode...but...I want our normal...” 

He stumbles a bit on the last few words, finally letting them all out in a quick breath. “I want the normal us too, you know what I mean, right?” 

Yeonho is still trying to collect himself, his heart pounding hard as he bites down into his lower lip and thinks for a moment, nodding because he knows exactly what Dongheon means. 

“I think we need to do more,” Yeonho says suddenly after a long pause. “I mean...we need to keep acting like a cou—doing embarrassing things until it’s comfortable, right?” 

And there’s another long, awkward pause as Yeonho says that, until both of them burst into quiet but nervous laughter, both staring down into their laps as it fades to silence and neither is sure what to say to that. 

It’s true that this is a unique situation for the two of them, but they really should have seen it coming, even if neither of them could ever have really prepared for it. After all, they were the two who were both aware of their feelings for each other long before they confessed but who both avoided it far longer than they should have out of shyness or worry or whatever it was that stopped them from acting as soon as they knew what was happening. 

That’s just the way the two of them are, and it makes it easy for them to understand each other and where they’re coming from without ever having to really talk about it, but it also makes this all so frustrating and slow, this process of fitting into the new roles that they have in each other’s lives. Well, not _new_ exactly, but certainly different, and it’s all a question of how to balance the old with the new, everything they always had with everything they’ll have now that they opened this door and frankly, they don’t even know where to start. 

And really, Yeonho loves the way that Dongheon makes him feel so shy like this. He loves the way that Dongheon makes his heart skip and his face burn and makes every moment feel so strange and exciting. He loves it all so much, and he still can’t believe that he got so lucky that the two of them were able to meet and...he even loves how fucking embarrassing and sappy he feels about it all, even if he keeps most of those feelings safe in his head. 

But at the same time, Dongheon is not just Yeonho’s...whatever they are now. He’s so much more than that. No matter what they are to each other now, Dongheon is also and will always be Yeonho’s best friend too. 

And as much as Yeonho loves the butterflies and the shy glances, he wants to be able to do all of the old things together too, just like they always did. He wants all of the fun they had when they were still on the other side of the line that they crossed together, and even when they were just hovering at its edge. He wants the stupid jokes and the deep conversations and the absolute ease with which they could just comfortably exist together without worry or hesitation. 

He supposes that this is the main issue when you have a relationship that begins from a long-held friendship, because the friendship will always be a part of it. More than that, the friendship is what it’s all based on, it’s what will always be there even when all of those shy butterflies finally settle down, and Yeonho wants the comfort, the familiarity, the fun, he wants it all along with...all of the new things that come with what they are now, and all of the new things that they’ll do together going forward. 

And _that_ particular thought has Yeonho feeling a little zing of excitement that he quickly shoves down, because it’s certainly not helping to calm the situation right now. But really, if they can’t even talk to each other or look at each other, how will they ever do any of... _that_ either? 

Their date goes on, and it’s more of the same for a while, both of them occasionally sipping their coffee, trying over and over again to start a real, normal conversation without success, but they do make some progress, it does feel like they’re easing into it, and for a while, it almost seems like it’s working, it almost seems like they’re close to finally slipping back into their old comforts. 

They’re soon able to get through ordering a slice of vanilla cake to share without being completely awkward about it, and they even manage to _actually_ share it, the two of them letting their hands brush, on purpose and as much as they can, and it makes Yeonho feel all warm and cozy, but also more confident about it, especially when they’re able to make it through an entire discussion while maintaining normal eye contact and not immediately dissolving into flustered chaos. 

But it’s as they’re taking their last few sips of coffee that their feet touch underneath the table by accident like something out of the sappiest, gooiest romantic drama, and they look right into each other’s eyes, and Yeonho is sure he can feel their hearts skipping together like they’re connected, and it’s the last straw, Yeonho letting out a loud, exasperated whine. 

“This isn’t working!” he exclaims, smiling but with clear frustration in his voice, and Dongheon chuckles in response before shyly looking down at the table, and they’re right back to where they were twenty minutes ago unable to even look at each other. 

“Why don’t we go for a walk?” Yeonho suggests. “Try something like that instead? Maybe being around all of these other people isn’t helping.” 

Dongheon nods in agreement, and they leave the café moments later, the two of them slipping on their coats and stepping out into the chilly winter air just in time to see that the sun is starting to set, and after some awkward back and forth, they decide to go for a walk in the nearby park where they can hopefully be alone for a little while before they’ll eventually have to return to the dorm. Perhaps having some rare privacy will make it a little easier to...to do what, exactly? Yeonho still isn’t sure what exactly they’re trying to accomplish, but he has a feeling that they’ll know it when they’ve done it. 

The streets are pretty empty when it’s so cold like this, the deep chill set in and not giving even an inch, and they’re not famous enough yet that they’d have to worry much about dealing with random fan encounters while they’re on hiatus, especially when it’s only the two of them, much less recognizable as individuals than when the whole group is together, but even so, they’re careful to avoid drawing any attention to themselves, and they’re sensible enough to know to keep all of their public interactions at least arguably platonic. 

As they walk down the sidewalk, there's tension between them, not unpleasant but it’s certainly not the effortless comfort that they had with each other back before when they were still, well, _arguably platonic_. Before, they’d go down the street and be so wrapped up in whatever dumb conversation that they’d walk into other people or almost get hit by cars or both. But right now, they’re silent save for safe, quiet murmurs of “this way” and “almost there” and of course they can’t look at each other, focused mostly ahead or at their surroundings or glancing down at the sidewalk as they go. 

As they get closer to the park just a few blocks away from the café, it soon begins to snow. It’s light at first, nothing more than a dusting, their breath coming out in cold puffs of air as they on and off speak to each other in one or two word bursts just to say something to break the silence, and as they walk, their hands keep brushing, each time causing both of them to flinch like it was an electric shock and go completely silent until they’re able to calm down enough just for it to happen again. 

And Yeonho can’t help but to smile to himself for a moment, almost laughing, because he really can’t believe this, that the two of them are together and acting like this. They used to do skinship together without a second thought, even when they were already aware of each other’s feelings but hadn’t confessed yet, and all of that physical contact had begun to mean more than friendly platonic affection and they both knew it. But now, it feels like even the tiniest touch is too much to handle without them both going crazy. 

And yet, it’s all that they want to do. It’s difficult, and they're shy about it now, but Yeonho knows that they’re both thinking the same thing, and that every time their hands brush, they both just want to be brave, they both just wish they could be brave. More than anything, Yeonho wants to hold Dongheon’s hand in his, to squeeze tight and to feel Dongheon’s heartbeat in his palm against his own, to intertwine their fingers perfectly and never let go. The thought alone makes his heart jump, but it also seems like an impossible task. 

The snow starts to get a little heavier as they finally approach the park and enter down the path lined with benches and old-fashioned, romantic street lamps just beginning to turn on, the snow now coming down thick and fluffy and sticking to their clothes and their hair, their cheeks and the tips of their noses and ears bright red from the cold, and it’s quickly turning the whole area into a winter wonderland like something from a Christmas card, blanketing the grass and the trees in thick, sparkling white, the path almost totally covered already so that their steps make a soft crunching noise as they continue forward, the rest of the world seeming to fall silent in that special hush that only snow creates. 

The wind begins to pick up, too, and suddenly, there’s a fierce and chilly gust of wind so strong that it pushes them forward, Dongheon grabbing for Yeonho’s hand completely out of reflex, a tight and firm grip to keep his balance as they both stumble to keep from falling over into the snow, and when the wind finally settles after a few moments, they laugh nervously, looking at each other and then away, and only then do they let go, stepping apart a moment later than necessary. 

They continue on, and they’re thankful that nobody else is around, and from here, they have a clear view of the gorgeous sunset, fiery orange and red swirled with deep indigo and violet around the edges as evening approaches, the bright colors embellished by the glittering white snow both blanketing everything along the way and continuing to fall all around them, and it’s like they’re walking into an oil painting now as they continue forward, taking the longest of the available paths through the park. 

The snow is getting thicker and heavier, soon obscuring their view of the distance as they continue down the path, and the wind is getting stronger, gusting over and over again every few minutes until it just starts blowing hard without stopping and they both start laughing, Yeonho turning to face Dongheon as they endure the gust and huddle in close, Yeonho wrapping his arms around Dongheon’s waist and Dongheon wrapping his arms around Yeonho’s shoulders as they hug each other for warmth and for balance and slot in tight together, feeling each other’s laughter through their bodies because the wind is too loud as they wait for it to calm down. 

But even when it all settles down, it’s still extremely cold, and the snow has their clothes and their hair soaked wet, their cheeks red as they shiver against each other, and so they just keep hugging to warm up for a few more minutes, Yeonho rubbing his hands up and down Dongheon’s back to warm him up while Dongheon does the same at Yeonho’s shoulders, and eventually, they just go still, they don’t even pretend that they’re doing anything other than hugging each other tight and enjoying some real physical contact, finally. 

“See, we can do this,” Yeonho murmurs, and he closes his eyes, taking it all in and how nice it all feels, how it all feels so perfect. 

Dongheon nuzzles his head against Yeonho’s in such an adorable and catlike way that it has Yeonho laughing quietly, his chest feeling all light and warm again, and when they finally pull apart, they still keep their arms around each other, separated enough only to be able to look at each other, and well, it’s not like they’re making out or anything, but they’re probably pushing their luck with the whole “make sure to stay platonic in public” thing. 

Thankfully, there’s still nobody else around, and it’s so quiet that it’s like the whole rest of the world disappeared, or maybe that’s because when they’re looking at each other like this, it’s all too easy for everything else to fade away. And well, with the snow falling all around them and the sun setting behind them, this is probably the most romantic moment that Yeonho has ever experienced in his entire life. 

And Dongheon keeps looking at Yeonho with the same soft, gentle gaze in his dark, gorgeous eyes, full of a fondness that nobody else in a million years would ever see or will ever see from their hotheaded, tiger leader, a look only for Yeonho that makes Yeonho’s eyes flutter and his lips part as Dongheon lifts a hand to Yeonho’s face, Dongheon cradling Yeonho’s cheek in his palm as he smiles. 

“Yes,” Dongheon says softly, his eyes darting around Yeonho’s face before falling back to lock with Yeonho’s eyes. “We can do this.” 

They’re both breathing a bit heavily, the visible puffs of air mixing together between them, and exactly three seconds pass before they both dissolve into loud laughter and pull apart, the moment over as they quickly look away from each other, fidgeting with their hands and their coats before they eventually (and a bit awkwardly) turn to start walking again. And they keep watching the sunset as they go, the snow drifting down more slowly, but now, they’re able to keep a steady chatter going, and when their hands brush, they don’t flinch or pull away. 

By the time they arrive back at the dorm, the snow has settled down and is now light and fragile, barely there at all, and when they’re enveloped in the warm air of their dorm building from the frigid chill of outside, they both sigh in satisfaction and take a moment to warm up, to defrost their hands and their faces, Yeonho feeling a little burst of bravery after what happened in the park to take Dongheon’s hands in between his and rub them together to warm them both up right there in the building lobby, both of them laughing shyly when they switch and Dongheon returns the favor. 

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Yeonho asks a few moments later as they’re going up the elevator together. 

“Are you proposing a ‘Netflix and chill?’” Dongheon replies, raising his eyebrows at Yeonho, and they both laugh at that, but Yeonho’s heart skips around a bit at the thought of doing anything like that when they haven’t even kissed yet, and they exchange another shy look before they both quickly look away with freshly red faces, and at this point, it’s really, _really_ getting ridiculous. 

When they finally arrive at the dorm, slipping inside and announcing their return, none of the other members are anywhere to be seen, they must all be hanging out in their rooms, and so Dongheon and Yeonho take a moment to brush off all the snow from themselves and to take off their shoes and socks and hang up their coats. From there, Dongheon goes over to his room for a few minutes, while Yeonho goes right to the living room to pick out something for them to watch. They’re still technically on their first date, right? So the choice needs to be perfect. 

Yeonho gets lost in thought as he stands there right in the middle of the living room and scrolls through all of the different streaming options, finally settling on a romantic comedy that neither of them has watched before, and he’s wondering if they should order delivery later or eat with the other members when Dongheon comes back and joins him, Yeonho turning in time to see that Dongheon has shed most of his clothing and is now down to just a sleeveless shirt and underwear. 

And this really isn’t anything unusual. They’re a dorm full of boys, they’re all very comfortable around each other even in various states of undress, and with how hectic their lives as idols are, there was never any time or place to be shy about any of it anyway, but this is the first time that Yeonho has seen Dongheon like this since they confessed, and well, naturally, it’s all quite different now than it was before, Yeonho freezing in place as his eyes don’t know where to look at first, whether at Dongheon’s broad shoulders, or his sculpted biceps, or the top of his chest, not to mention the lower half of his body... 

“Are you just going to keep staring forever?” Dongheon asks, grinning, and Yeonho looks up at him and they lock eyes, Yeonho’s face so hot he feels like he’ll burst into flames. And Yeonho chuckles nervously as Dongheon comes closer, and despite the casual tone of Dongheon’s voice, Yeonho can see the way that Dongheon’s eyes shake slightly as he moves in so close that there’s only a few inches of space left between them, Yeonho’s eyes fluttering as Dongheon places a hand on Yeonho’s shoulder while his other hand reaches for the zipper of Yeonho’s hoodie. 

They both go a little breathless then as Dongheon slowly unzips the zipper down Yeonho’s body revealing the soft, thin t-shirt underneath, and they make eye contact again for just a moment before Dongheon helps him to take it off, coming in even closer as he does so, and when he pulls the hoodie off of Yeonho’s shoulders and down off of Yeonho’s arms, he bumps his forehead lightly against Yeonho’s in affection, both of them immediately curling in on themselves with shyness and smiling before Dongheon finally pulls away with Yeonho’s hoodie crumpled up in his hands. 

From there, Dongheon puts the hoodie on himself and turns away, going over to sit on the couch and leaving Yeonho standing there lovestruck as his eyes fall down Dongheon’s backside, Yeonho unable to move for a solid minute until he finally snaps out of it, slipping away to his room to change into more comfortable sweatpants and awkwardly greeting Hoyoung who gives him an immensely curious look that makes Yeonho worry that he might start asking questions later. 

When Yeonho returns to the living room, Dongheon is all curled up on the couch and staring at the TV, but he hasn’t started the movie yet, and there’s a very obvious invitation for Yeonho in the empty spot beside him, Dongheon glancing at Yeonho before his eyes flicker back to the screen and fidgeting a little nervously in place as Yeonho comes over to sit down beside him. 

And in the past, as soon as Yeonho would sit down, Dongheon would immediately be all over him, wrapping around Yeonho and clinging to him like he was Dongheon’s own personal teddy bear, but now, Dongheon’s a bit more hesitant, and he doesn’t move, though Yeonho can feel it that Dongheon wants nothing more than to wrap himself around Yeonho and to cuddle him close, and though normally, Yeonho would tease and act annoyed at Dongheon’s clingy ways, right now, he wants it more than anything else in the world. 

But even so, neither of them moves, the two of them sitting right next to each other but feeling every inch of space between them, and they stare straight ahead at the TV with what appears to be an intense focus even though in reality, neither of them is paying any attention at all, both of them visibly tense, and while normally, they’d both be talking and joking around so much during the move that they’d miss most of the dialogue, right now, they’re silent. Still, they both know without having to speak exactly what is happening, that they both want to do something but neither has the courage to initiate it. 

And it continues on like that for about twenty minutes or so into the movie, and Yeonho’s mind drifts away but to nothing in particular like he’s caught in a trance, the spell only broken when Yeonho hears someone coming towards the kitchen and he glances over to see Kangmin awkwardly pouring himself a glass of water, Kangmin glancing at Dongheon and Yeonho and likely feeling the strange tension that’s practically radiating off of them in waves, Kangmin’s face plainly wondering why they’re acting so weird, because, well, they hadn’t actually told the other members just yet about, well...about any of it. Frankly, they don’t have the first clue how they’re supposed to break the news to them. 

But then again, it’s as Kangmin is leaving to return to his room that he and Yeonho make eye contact, and the wide-eyed look that Kangmin gives him, and the slight red tint to Kangmin’s cheeks as he quickly glances at Dongheon and then back to Yeonho, make it clear that maybe the other members aren’t so oblivious to what’s happening after all. 

As Yeonho turns his attention back to the TV, he wishes he could just be brave again like he was before, but damn it if it’s not a hundred times harder now, because Dongheon is practically half-naked beside him, all golden, glowing skin and firm, sculpted muscles just begging to be touched and...and...Yeonho’s heart is racing, and his skin is tingling all over. 

Wasn’t this supposed to make it all easier, being alone like this? Isn’t this why they came all the way back here? There’s nobody watching and no obstacles in the way, it’s just the two of them free to be as open as they’d like, so why does this seem even more difficult now than it was before? 

It’s well into the evening now, and it’ll be dinnertime soon, which means that the other members will soon be coming out from their bedrooms and Dongheon and Yeonho will lose their chance at privacy for at least a few hours, because the others might want to watch TV or play video games after dinner too, and it might not be until long after that the dorm will finally be empty and quiet again, not to mention that Dongheon and Yeonho will have to try to act as normal together as they can in the presence of everyone else, as normal as possible, which, right now, seems completely _impossible_. 

The minutes stretch on and on, and it’s all just more of the same, until the movie finally ends without Yeonho remembering a single thing that happened, the credits rolling to some overplayed romantic pop song, Yeonho quickly reaching for the remote and switching the TV off before dropping it back down over on the other side of the couch and sitting back again, leaving the two of them just sitting there together in silence, in exactly the same spots that they’ve been in since the movie started. 

There’s a long, long moment of silence, so quiet that they can hear one of the other members playing music from one of the bedrooms, and they can hear the sounds of running water from the bathroom where one of the other members must be showering, and they can even hear the sounds of the city outside, the cars and buses going by, a motorcycle somewhere in the distance, but for Yeonho, what he hears loudest of all is his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, so loud that he wonders if Dongheon can hear it too. 

What finally breaks the silence is Dongheon letting out a long, quiet sigh and moving to sit up a little straighter on the couch, Yeonho playing it cool and not moving or reacting, but completely attuned to what’s happening next to him, to the prickle on his skin that tells him without even looking that Dongheon just looked at him and then down at the floor, and that Dongheon is smiling that cute and timid half-smile of his as he thinks of what to say. 

“Did you catch any of that?” Dongheon asks as he plays with his fingers in his lap, then squeezes both of his hands together. “The movie, I mean.” 

“Nope,” Yeonho says. “Pretty much missed the entire thing." 

“Same here,” Dongheon replies, and they both chuckle quietly before falling back to silence. 

It’s then that Dongheon moves in a little closer at Yeonho’s side, just a little, and he ever so casually reaches for Yeonho’s hand beside him, and he takes it between both of his to squeeze gently and to play with Yeonho’s fingers as he talks, Yeonho’s body flooding with warmth. 

“I’m sorry that today was so weird,” Dongheon murmurs. “I’m sorry that...all of this is so weird.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Yeonho replies, and he’s enjoying Dongheon’s hands squeezing and playing with his own, it feels relaxing, almost like some kind of massage, though he knows it’s more for Dongheon’s comfort than anything else. Yeonho has always been like Dongheon’s security blanket, and he’s happy to be it for him. 

“It’s nice,” Yeonho goes on. “It’s weird but...it’s nice too. And we’ll get better at all of this, we will.’ 

And now, Dongheon is just holding Yeonho’s hand there between his, looking a bit small and vulnerable, and Yeonho moves in a little closer towards him so that they’re now completely pressed together side by side. 

“Anyway,” Yeonho continues, “when we get to the old married couple stage, we’re going to love reminiscing about this.” 

“Old married couple?” Dongheon asks, suddenly turning a bit to face Yeonho and Yeonho finally turning a bit to face him, and they make eye contact, Dongheon still holding Yeonho’s hand between both of his but now he’s grinning in amusement, his eyes shining. “You’re really thinking that far ahead? We only just had our first...” 

Dongheon pauses, his voice and his eyes going softer. “Our first date.” 

They both smile and something about Dongheon finally saying it like that changes things, melts down some of the nervous tension between them into something warm and gooey, and Dongheon’s eyes shine, and something in their depths changes and shifts and he finally seems a little braver. 

Even so, his voice is quiet as he murmurs, “We haven’t even had our first kiss.” 

Dongheon finally lets go of Yeonho’s hand, Dongheon's hands falling to the couch, Yeonho keeping his own hand resting on Dongheon’s bare thigh, and they keep looking at each other, and Dongheon looks so beautiful like this, he takes Yeonho’s breath away, Yeonho’s heart thumping hard in his chest and his mind dizzy looking into Dongheon’s deep, liquid eyes, and it’s then that everything goes so quiet around them, all of that background noise from before fading away into a truly perfect silence. 

At first, and for what feels like an eternity, neither of them moves at all, but then, Dongheon’s eyes go half-lidded and he starts to lean forward towards Yeonho, slowly, so slowly, tilting his head slightly as he keeps going, and Yeonho suddenly can’t breathe, his chest tight and his eyes closing, both of their eyes slipping shut together as Dongheon gets closer and closer, until he stops, just centimeters away, the two of them so close that their noses are brushing and Yeonho can feel the whisper of Dongheon’s breath on his lips as Dongheon lets out a barely-there little laugh, still so nervous and hesitant even now. 

And Yeonho’s heart is going so hard that it’s practically humming, that is, until Dongheon finally closes the distance and then it feels like Yeonho’s heart just stops, his breath catching in his chest as their lips meet in the softest, gentlest of kisses. 

And it’s just a single kiss, but it’s pure magic that feels like it lights them up from the inside out, and when they pull back, it’s a long moment before they open their eyes together, both of them in a daze from it, almost sleepy from it, their gazes darting around in each other’s eyes before they finally settle, and Dongheon’s lips are still parted, his face flushed red and his eyes fluttering. 

And Dongheon’s face goes redder and redder the longer that they look at each other, and he lets out another nervous little laugh, turning his face away, but Yeonho brings a hand to Dongheon’s cheek and turns Dongheon’s face back towards him, Yeonho then closing his eyes and leaning forward for another kiss, both of them closing their eyes again, and this time, their lips melt together so perfectly that they both moan into it, Yeonho feeling like electricity is running through every cell in his body, his blood rushing hot and fast through his veins, and he’s dizzy like the room is spinning. 

They pull apart, breathing heavily against each other’s mouths, and they’re tilting their faces the opposite way and leaning in for their third kiss when they hear a door opening and they pull apart just a moment too late as Yongseung emerges into the kitchen, and even if he hadn’t actually seen anything, it’s obvious what they were just doing by the way that they’re both flushed and panting, and it would be anyone’s guess as to who the most embarrassed person in the room is right now. 

To his credit, Yongseung pretends that he saw nothing, quickly slipping away to the kitchen while Dongheon and Yeonho separate and switch on the TV again just as the other members begin emerging into the living room and the kitchen, one by one over the next minute or so for dinner. And Yeonho’s heart is still racing, and he knows that he should feel embarrassed and anxious, but he doesn’t feel that way at all. He just feels...all he feels is... 

He looks at Dongheon next to him, Dongheon back to being shy and pretending to watch the TV, and then Yeonho looks at the other members who are busying themselves in the kitchen and chatting, the dorm soon growing loud with activity. It’s then that Yeonho catches Yongseung whispering something to Hoyoung, both of them looking over at Dongheon and Yeonho before quickly turning back around, and Yeonho sighs to himself, because damn, if the other members didn’t already know that something was up between Dongheon and Yeonho, they’ll all know in the next two minutes, or however long it actually takes for Hoyoung and Yongseung to spread the word. 

Yeonho’s attention shifts back to Dongheon when he feels Dongheon getting up from the couch, probably going to put some pants on so that they can join the other members for dinner, and it’s just before he walks away that Yeonho grabs his hand and Dongheon looks down at him, both of them exchanging a tiny smile before Dongheon gives Yeonho’s hand a squeeze and then leaves. 

A short while later, when they’re all eating at the table together, things almost feel normal, with Dongheon and Yeonho joking and laughing with the other members who, despite what they’ve likely just learned, seem to be taking it well, and it’s only a little bit awkward whenever Yeonho catches one of the other members watching him and Dongheon with curious eyes. 

As for Dongheon and Yeonho themselves, well, even after today, even after what just happened, they’re still much too shy with each other, but that’s okay. After an entire day of this push and pull, Yeonho thinks they can understand it now, and they know that little by little, as they spend more time together in this...brand new little world of theirs’, they’ll get exactly where they’re supposed to be. And it won’t be some big moment that will suddenly change things between them. Just like how they got together in the first place, it will be a process, and getting there will be just as wonderful. 

For now, for tonight, Yeonho enjoys just being together with Dongheon by his side, and the way that after their first date and their first kiss, they can touch their feet under the table and know that they’re just getting started.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed this fic, please leave a kudos or comment ❤️
> 
> also check out my [yeonheon twitter](https://twitter.com/yeonheonlove), my [personal twitter](https://twitter.com/yeonheonlife), and my [youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNcIoyYpPO5KVjZgnvZsOg) ❤️


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